Library History Roadshow heads to Ruskin | Community Spirit

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Ruskin, Florida - On Sunday, April 15, from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., the Library History Roadshow will feature the Ruskin Branch Library at 25 Dickman Drive, SE in Ruskin.

People are encouraged to bring their Ruskin Branch Library memories, photographs and memorabilia to share.

Using materials gathered from private local collections dating back to 1916, the Ruskin Woman's Club began a library in 1929 at the nearby Chamber of Commerce building.

In 1940, the growing library collection moved to the Woman's Club building. In 1963, a Library Association formed to raise funds for a library building, which opened in June of 1966 at the library's present location.

Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Libraries will begin celebrating their 100th Anniversaries in 2014. To prepare, the libraries have partnered with the Tampa Bay History Center, the Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County, and other community partners to present the Library History Roadshow.

The Library History Roadshow will make stops at library branches throughout Hillsborough County through 2013 to gather and document the communities' library memories, photographs and memorabilia. On this journey, the Library History Roadshow will feature four libraries that closed many years ago and each of the libraries in Hillsborough County, including the main library; 24 branch libraries; the Bookmobile; the Spanish-language Cybermobile; the Talking Book Library; and two city-operated libraries.

Staff and volunteers work onsite at each Library History Roadshow to digitally scan photos and other printed items that residents bring, and immediately return the originals to their owners. Attendees delight in recording video and audio stories that share their historical knowledge of and experiences at the libraries.